With the year coming to a close, it felt right to acknowledge the masterful tracks that have been released in 2015. Not just lyrically sound, these songs also have incredible music video production. Here are the tops videos of this year:
7. "WTF (Where They From)" ft. Pharrell Williams - Missy Elliot
Missy Elliot is back with an obscure and visually luring music video. Directed by herself and Dave Meyers, this high-energy and well-choreographed performance video shifts easily through scenes, as well as keeps the audience engrossed with unpredictable imagery.
6. "Sunday Candy" - Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
An upbeat track with lively artists is an added plus to this video’s execution. Done in one continuous shot, director Austin Vesely, Ian Eastwood, and Chance the Rapper maintain a carefree setting with choreography, bright colors, and fluid stage changes, making this video successful.
5. "Cronus The Terminator" - Flying Lotus
Directed by Young Replicant, this Flying Lotus video off of the album "You're Dead" features a surrealist depiction of death and transitional phases into the afterlife. Young Replicant has also directed videos with a similar aesthetics for Lorde, The XX, Purity Ring, and other artists.
4. "M3ll155X" - FKA Twigs
Released August of this year, Twigs’s video features four individual tracks off her recently recorded EP. The video lasts a total of 16 minutes and 33 seconds, each highlighting different storylines with bizarre imagery. Nonetheless, it is a powerful video that surpasses present lyrical and visual conventions.
3. "Blackstar" - David Bowie
Directed by Johan Renck, Bowie’s newly released short film sets the bar high for visual and conceptual art. Taking place in an unfamiliar setting, this video’s sci-fi elements present perplexing content that may or may not have correlations to his former work. This video involves a great amount of performance art, and demands a viewer’s full attention.
2. "L$D (LOVE x $EX x DREAMS)" - A$AP Rocky
Directed by Dexter Navy and released May of this year, A$AP Rocky’s video features a variety of stylized images. An emulation of Gaspar Noé’s "Enter the Void", this video includes vivid colors, clean transitions, and psychedelic impressions.
1. "Alright" - Kenrick Lamar
Uplifting, politically provocative, and with incredible cinematography, Kendrick Lamar’s "Alright", is a powerhouse for released videos in 2015. Director Colin Tilley creates a black and white aesthetic to perpetuate a successful, socially conscious music video. Ambitious and beautifully constructed, both lyrically and visually, this is one of the best videos of 2015.
